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Biomedical subjects

T J Reidy

Publications and source records attributed to T J Reidy.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A matter of life or death: special considerations and heightened practice standards in capital sentencing evaluations.

Mental health evaluations at capital sentencing represent a complex and specialized arena of practice. The moral culpability focus of capital sentencing is distinct from guilt-phase considerations of criminal responsibility, and has a specialized literature. Capital violence risk assessment is uniquely oriented to a prison context, relying on past adjustment to incarceration, as well as group statistical data specific to capital offenders and other inmate groups. Personality testing is a more complex consideration in capital sentencing evaluations. The implications of interviewing the defendant, as well as the parameters and documentation of an interview, make full disclosure and informed consent of particular importance. Defense- and prosecution-retained experts are subject to specific ethical vulnerabilities. These are examined in this paper through the lens of current professional standards.

Capital Punishment↗
PubMed1998

Antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy: diagnostic dilemmas in classifying patterns of antisocial behavior in sentencing evaluations.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and PCL-R psychopathy are critically examined regarding their application to sentencing determinations. PCL-R psychopathy is emerging in the literature as a more useful forensic diagnostic construct than APD, which appears flawed by multiple weaknesses. These include shifting diagnostic criteria, innumeracy problems, absence of symptom weighting, temporal instability, and the equivalence of some symptoms with substance abuse disorders. Additionally, APD overdiagnosis may result from inattention to issues of social context, trauma history, and symptom pervasiveness. Neither objective nor projective personality testing reliably differentiates APD. Finally, an APD diagnosis does not always indicate criminal, much less incorrigible criminal behavior. By contrast, PCL-R psychopathy results are strongly predictive of criminal behavior and violent recidivism for Caucasian males through mid-life residing in the community. Emerging research with the PCL-R regarding other important populations and contexts is promising but generalization is currently limited.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed1998

Integrating base rate data in violence risk assessments at capital sentencing.

Prediction of violence in capital sentencing has been controversial. In the absence of a scientific basis for risk assessment, mental health professionals offering opinions in the capital sentencing context are prone to errors. Actuarial or group statistical data, known as base rates, have proven far superior to other methods for reducing predictive errors in many contexts, including risk assessment. Actuarial follow-up data on violent recidivism of capital murderers in prison and post release have been compiled and analyzed to demonstrate available base rates for use by mental health experts conducting risk assessments pertaining to capital sentencing. This paper also reviews various methods for individualizing the application of base rates to specific cases.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1994

Neuropsychological sequelae of methyl bromide: a case study.

Methyl bromide (MB) is a pesticide used primarily as a fumigating agent for homes, storage vehicles and soil. Chronic exposure to MB is known to cause damage to the central nervous system and other organs. Previously published post-mortem studies have also revealed significant brain abnormalities in patients whose deaths were attributed to MB. Only one study to date has examined the neuropsychological effects of this potential neurotoxin. The present case report documents the events surrounding an incident of acute and subacute MB exposure following home fumigation and the neuropsychological after-effects associated with that exposure. Behavioural and cognitive correlates of CNS dysfunction revealed by the neuropsychological testing included impairments in concentration, information processing, learning and memory. Emotional sequelae appeared to be a secondary problem associated with fears over physical well-being and impaired cognition. The cognitive symptomatology did not abate after completion of litigation and award of compensation.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1994

Neuropsychological toxicology of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate: a report of five cases.

The neuropsychological functioning of five men suffering alleged physical, cognitive and behavioural changes following exposure to methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), an industrial chemical, was investigated in the present study. At the time of assessment, four of the five patients remained symptomatic despite having no contact with MDI for periods ranging from 5 to 9 months. All patients reported experiencing subjective symptoms consisting of respiratory distress, headaches, depression, irritability, forgetfulness, decreased calculating ability, word-finding problems and reduced concentration. While the pattern of neuropsychological deficits varied among the patients, common findings for the group included intact psychomotor, psychosensory, visuographic and language functions accompanied by deceased concentration, mental efficiency, rate of information processing, learning ability and abstract reasoning. All five patients also revealed significant emotional distress on an objective personality measure. In general, the neuropsychological test data support the presence of behavioural and cognitive correlates of CNS injury following exposure to MDI.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Pesticide exposure and neuropsychological impairment in migrant farm workers.

The chronic, long-term effects from exposure to many frequently used pesticides have yet to be fully documented. Migrant Hispanic farm workers who are the frequent victims of such exposures are rarely studied. A neuropsychological test battery was administered to 21 migrant farm workers acutely exposed to Phosdrin, Lannate and Maneb on two occasions, and to 11 controls matched for age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Results revealed that two years after the pesticide exposures, the exposed group was significantly more impaired than controls on tests of psychomotor speed, dexterity, and visuospatial memory. Disturbing emotional symptoms were reported with significantly greater frequency by the exposed group in comparison to controls. Results are consistent with the previously reported constellation of symptoms and neuropsychological deficits associated with pesticide exposure.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Stability of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory in an incarcerated delinquent population.

Clinical use of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI) depends on computerized interpretation of the pattern of scale score elevations in the profile beyond certain cutoff scores rather than the elevations of single scales. There has been no reported work on the stability of the scale scores or the stability of the 2-point codes in a delinquent population. The MAPI was administered to 46 incarcerated male juvenile delinquents and was readministered after a period of 2 to 4 weeks. The test-retest correlations of the base-rate scale scores ranged from .33 to .89 with a mean of .74, which compare favorably to Millon's (1982) standardization sample. However, only 41% of the 2-point codes were judged to be congruent between administrations. The poor congruence of the 2-point codes across administrations raises doubts about interpretive statements based on these codes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Skeletal surveys in multiple myeloma. Radiologic-clinical correlation.

Thirty-three patients with multiple myeloma were studied with serial skeletal surveys, serum immunoglobulin levels, and postabsorptive urinary hydroxyproline (Spot-HYPRO) determinations. Twenty receiving chemotherapy were also followed with skeletal surveys in order to evaluate bone response to treatment. A close association was found between skeletal findings and changes in immunoglobulin levels with positive correlation in 71% of the patients. A similar association was found between skeletal disease and Spot-HYPRO level changes in 65%. Five of 12 patients (42%) with partial or complete clinical response to chemotherapy, demonstrated improvement in the appearance of skeletal lesions. Positive correlation between the roentgenographic changes and clinical markers of myeloma as well as therapeutic response, indicates that skeletal surveys are useful and effective in monitoring patients with multiple myeloma.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1985

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in pregnancy: response to plasma manipulations.

We present three cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and one case of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) occurring during pregnancy. All patients and their offspring survived, and none of the infants had TTP or HUS. Plasma manipulations (exchange and infusions) were the effective therapeutic measures in all patients. The most significant complication of therapy was posttransfusion hepatitis, which occurred in three patients, and from which recovery was complete.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Procainamide-induced agranulocytosis.

We have described six new patients accounting for seven episodes of agranulocytosis due to procainamide. Six episodes involved the slow-release oral preparation. With continued use of this convenient antiarrhythmic agent, it is important that physicians be alert to the possibility of agranulocytosis in febrile patients receiving procainamide. If agranulocytosis occurs, procainamide should be discontinued promptly and the fever should be treated aggressively with combination broad spectrum antibiotics.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1979

Training appropriate eating behavior in a pediatric rehabilitation setting: case study.

The study demonstrates an effective operant conditioning treatment technique to train appropriate eating behavior in a child with brain damage. The child, a 7-year-old boy, received the training during brief hospitalization in a pediatric rehabilitation unit. The principal treatment modality consisted of verbal commands, praise, and manual guidance. During 2 baseline meals the child ate appropriately on the average of 21% of the time. Rapid improvement in correct eating responses occurred during the first week of treatment, reaching a level of 100% in 2 of the last 4 training meals. Following withdrawal of treatment, correct responses decreased to an average of 69%. When treatment was resumed the child reached a correct eating response level of more than 90% on the fifth meal. This level of performance was maintained when hospital staff and the child's mother were introduced into the program. The child's teacher was trained in the technique prior to his discharge from the hospital. School follow-up of more than 15 weeks indicated proper performance had been maintained at more than 90%. High levels of appropriate eating behavior can be learned in the hospital and generalized to the home and school if parents and teachers are actively engaged in rehabilitation efforts.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1977

The aggressive characteristics of abused and neglected children.

Awareness of child abuse as a serious social problem has risen sharply in recent years, yet there has been only limited and inadequate research on the abused child's growth and development. This study investigated the aggressive characteristics of young abused children with those of nonabused-neglected and normal children, a comparison not previously made. Results indicated that abused children exhibited significantly more aggression than the nonabused-negected and normal children on TAT stories and in a free play environment. Both the abused and the nonabused-neglected groups demonstrated significantly more aggression in a school setting than did normals. The findings lend empirical verification to previous descriptions of abused children as overly aggressive and support the social learning formulation that children exposed to aggressive parental models will demonstrate aggressive characteristics outside the home. The data are also consistent with prior research that links physical punishment in the home with hyperaggressiveness in children. The need for early identification and treatment of abused children is discussed.

Aggression↗
PubMed1977

Dear Dr. Olsen:.

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Insurance, Dental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attribution of blame in incest cases: a comparison of mental health professionals.

This study examined the attribution of blame by mental health professionals in father/daughter incest cases with respect to the influence of professional affiliation, gender, experience in treating victims and perpetrators, and years of clinical experience. A sample of 101 licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors completed a demographic questionnaire, the Jackson Incest Blame Scale, and questionnaire assigning blame for father-daughter incest. A factor analysis of the Jackson Incest Blame Scale yielded six factors rather than the four reported in previous research supporting the hypothesis that attribution of blame is a more complex phenomenon than previously thought. The majority of blame was assigned to the father-perpetrator with mothers and societal factors receiving a small percentage, and daughter victims none of the blame. Clinician experience in treating incest victims, gender of respondent, and professional affiliation differentiated attitudes towards family, situational, and societal blame.

Adult↗